Matrix stick



1933- A. H. HEDLY 1,923,823

MATRIX STICK Filed June 29, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l A. H. HEDLY MATRIX STICK Aug. 22, 1933.

Filed June 29, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 ad A j v 1 g 9 e 9 W W9 3 9 J 9g 6 5 1 5 MN w Patented Aug. 22, 1933 1 UNITED STATES MATRIX STICK Arthur H. Hedly, Chicago, 111., assignor to Lud low Typograph Company, Chicago, 111., a Cor poration of Illinois Application June 29, 1932. Serial No. 620,007

8 Claims.

My present improvement relates more particularly to matrix sticks such as are commonly employed in the casting of type slugs, these sticks being provided as independent members for re- 5. ceiving and holding a number of detached mat- "rices in selected relation, thereby forming a composite matrix apart from, but adapted to cooperate with, a mold when the stick is temporarily applied to operative position with relation thereto, 10. and produce the desired line of printing characters on the slug formed in the mold.

One of my objects is to provide means for clamping the matrices in the stick which shall be quick-adjustable to clamp lines of matrices 15. of greatly varying lengths; to provide a simple and compact matrix stick having means as above set forth; to provide improvements in matrix clamping means, especially of the quick-adjustable type comprising a threaded shaft and oo- 20 operating nut intermittently engaging with the thread on the shaft, to the end of avoiding the possibility of jamming of the shaft thread with the nut thread at their crests with consequent failure to function properly or damage to the threads; and other objects as will be manifest from the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a matrix stick embodying my invention and showing it in position for casting in a slug-casting machine, a portion only of the latter being shown.

Figure 2 is a broken view in vertical sectional elevation of the stick and the slug-casting machine, the section being taken at the line 2 on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section taken at the line 33 on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the stick showing certain of the parts thereof sectioned, the section being taken at the irregular line 4 on Fig. 5 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 5 is an enlarged section taken at the line 5 on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow, this view showing the matrix-clamping mechanism in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4; and

Figure 6, a view line Fig. 5 and of the structure therein shown, illustrating another position of the clamping parts.

In accordance with common practice the matrix stick shown at '7 and embodying my inven- 55 tion as hereinafter described, co-operates with a mold member 8 of a line-slug casting machine as commonly provided, presenting a mold cavity 9 in which the shank of the line-slug to be produced is cast, the metal to form the slug being projected upwardly into the mold cavity 9 through its open bottom and against the line of matrices in the stick, which latter is accurately positioned relative to the mold cavity 9 by a stop 10 provided on the bed 11 of the machine and containing an opening 12 into which the mold member 8 extends.

The matrix stick shown comprises a framelike body portion 13 presenting an opening 14 in which the matrices 15 against which the metal introduced into the mold cavity 9 is cast to form, the line of printing characters on the slug, are positioned, one of the side bars of the frame 13 being provided with a scale 16 presenting graduations corresponding with the difierent length of slugs to be produced.

The matrices are clamped in the stick against the solid end portion 17 thereof by means of a clamping block 18, forming a quad, which is adjustable in, and lengthwise of, the opening is in the frame, the quad 18 being shown as connected with one end of a plate 19 forming a sliding quad provided at its outer end with a block 20 beyond one end of the frame 13.

The clamp block 18 is associated with means embodying my invention for shifting it into engagement with the line of matrices and applying thereto the desired clamping pressure, these means in the particular illustrated embodiment of my invention comprising a sleeve 21 extending lengthwise along, and above, the quad plate 19 and connected at its opposite ends with the blocks 18 and 20, a threaded shaft 22 within the sleeve 21 and rotatable in, but held against lengthwise movement relative to, the blocks 18 and 20, the outer end of the shaft 22 having a knurled knob 23 by which to rotate it, and a mutilated nut 24 located in a recess 25 in the end member 26 of the frame 13 and co-operating with the thread on the shaft 22.

The adaptability of the shaft 22 for rotation without lengthwise movement relative to the blocks 18 and 20, is provided for in the particular construction shown by providing a pin 27 on the block 18 and plate 19 which extends, at its inner end, into an annular groove 28 in the shaft 22.

The nut 24 is backed by springs 29 which urge the nut 24 into engagement with the shaft 22,

coil spring represented at 30 and confined between the nut 24 and a sidewall of the recess 25 yieldingly maintaining the forward edge 31 of the nut in engagement with the wall 32 of this recess.

The thread on the shaft 22 and represented at 33 is of general trapezoidal form the abrupt portions 34 of which oppose the abrupt portions 35 of the similarly shaped thread 36 of the mutilated nut 24.

The thread 33 on the shaft 22 throughout its length is cut away along one side as represented at 37 to provide an unthreaded portion which, by angularly adjusting the shaft 22, may be caused to register with the thread 36 on the nut 24 to permit the clamp block 18 and quad plate 19 and the parts movable therewith to be slid along the frame in either direction, though, as will be understood, it is not necessary to position the shaft with its unthreaded portion opposing the thread 36 in the inward movement of the quad block and plate together with the parts connected therewith, as the threads on the nut and shaft are so shaped and disposed as stated, that the nut 24 in the movement of the shaft referred to, will idle back and forth as the thr ad on the shaft mo es across the thread on the nut.

As will be understood from the foregoing, the nut 24 serves, in conjunction with the threaded portion of the shaft 22, in the rotation of the latter in clockwise direction in Figs. 3, 5 and 6, to force the clamp block 18 and plate 19, by a wedging screw action, against the line of matrices 15 positioned in the opening 14 and against which the clamp block 18 is preliminarily positioned by sliding the latter, together with the parts movable therewith, into engagement with the matrices, the provision of the spring so affording a slight yield to retrograde movement of the nut 24 in the final matrix-clamping operation.

The feature of urging the nut 24, by the action of the springs 29 toward, and into engagement with the side of the shaft 22 is of great practical importance as it prevents possible mutilation of the threads on these parts by mutual engagement at their crests. The nut 2% being yieldable in a direction away from the shaft, should such engagement occur, the nut 24 will yield in the rotation of the shaft 22 and when the shaft has rotated to a position in which the crests of the thread 34 have passed the crests of the thread 36, the nut 24 will be forced, under the pressure of the springs 29 outwardly toward the shaft 22 and into meshed engagement with the thread thereon.

While I have illustrated and described a particular construction embodying my invention, I do not wish to be understood as intending to limit it thereto, as the same may be variously modified and altered without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A matrix stick comprising a frame portion for receiving the matrices, and means for clamping the matrices in said frame portion comprising a threaded rotatable shaft, a member at the side of said shaft and movable toward and away from said shaft, threads on said member and shaft and yielding means urging said member into engagement at its thread with the thread on said shaft, said shaft and member being relatively slidable in a direction lengthwise of said shaft toward matrix-clamping position and said threads being so shaped as to permit said member to idle in said relative movement of said shaft and member.

2. A matrix stick comprising a frame portion for receiving the matrices, and means for clamping the matrices in said frame portion comprising a threaded shaft slidable and rotatable in said frame portion, a member at the side of said shaft and movable toward and away from said shaft, said member having a threaded portion for engaging the thread on said shaft and yielding means urging said member into engagement at its thread with the thread on said shaft, said threads being so shaped as to permit said member to idle in the sliding of said shaft toward matrixclamping position.

3. A matrix stick comprising a frame portion for receiving the matrices, and matrix-clamping means comprising a shaft slidable and rotatable on said frame portion and having a thread interruptedalong a side of the shaft, a member at the side of said shaft and movable toward and away from said shaft, said member having a threaded portion for engaging the thread on said shaft and yielding means urging said member into engagement at its thread with the thread on said shaft.

4. A matrix stick comprising a frame portion for receiving the matrices, and matrix-clamping means comprising a shaft slidable and rotatable on said frame portion and having a thread interrupted along a side of the shaft, a member at the side of said shaft and movable toward and away from said shaft, said member having a threaded portion for engaging the thread on said shaft and yielding means urging said member into engage ment at its thread with the thread on said shaft, said threads being of general trapezoidal shape with the abrupt faces of the threads positioned to mutually engage in the rotation of said shaft toward matrix clamping position.

5. A matrix stick comprising a frame portion for receiving the matrices, and means for clamping the matrices in said frame portion comprising a threaded shaft slidable and rotatable in said frame portion,a member at the side of said shaft and movable toward and away from said shaft, said member having a threaded portion for engaging the thread on said shaft, yielding means urging said member into engagement at its thread with the thread on said shaft, and means yieldingly ur ing said member in the direction in which said shaft moves to clamp the matrices.

6. A matrix stick comprising a frame portion for receiving the matrices, and means for clamping the matrices in said frame portion comprising a threaded shaft slidable rotatable in said frame portion, a member at the side of said shaft and movable toward and away from said shaft, said member having a threaded portion for engaging the thread on said shaft, yielding means urging said member into engagement at its thread with the thread on said shaft, said threads being of general trapezoidal shape with the abrupt faces of the threads positioned to mutually engage in the rotation of said shaft toward matrix-clamping position, and means yieldingly urging said member in the direction in which said shaft moves to clamp the matrices.

'7. A matrix stick comprising a frame portion for receiving the matrices, and matrix-clamping means comprising shaft slidable and rotatable on said frame portion and having a thread interrupted along a side of the shaft, a member at the side of said shaft and movable toward and away from said shaft, said member having a threaded portion for engaging the'thread on said shaft, yielding means urging said member into engagement at its thread with the thread on aid shaft, and means yieldingiy urging said member in the direction in which said shaft moves to clamp the matrices.

8. A matrix stick comprising a frame portion for receiving the matrices, and matrix-clamping means comprising a shaft slidable and rotatable on said frame portion and having a thread interrupted along a side of the shaft, a member at the side of said shaft and movable toward and away from said shaft, said member having a threaded portion for engaging the thread on said 

